Washing-machine



No. 625,069. Patenfed May "5,1899.

. J. w. THOMAS.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Apphcat on fil d0 1; 15 1897) (No-Model.)

' Wifgzsszs NlTED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JACOB THOMAS, OF LANARK, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,069, dated May 16, 1899. Application filed October 15, 1897. Serialllo. 655,288. .(No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB WV. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lanark, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to washing-machines which employ a pounder as the direct means for effecting the cleansing of the clothes or articles by exerting a pressure thereon.

One of the chief features of the invention is to devise a simple and effective means for effecting a turning of the head carrying a cluster of pounders, so as to cover or act upon the entire surface of the clothes or articles contained in the receptacle or suds-box.

The invention also aims to secure a direct vertical reciprocatingmotion of the pounder without any special eifort on the part of the operator and also to obviate injurious contact between any one of the pou nders and the sides of the suds-box.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washingmachine constructed for effecting the ends of this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a view of the pounder inverted. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the pounders on a larger scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The receptacle or suds-box l is preferably of circular form, and its upperend is closed by a cover consisting of a central section 2 and side wings 3, hinged or loosely connected at their inner edges with the sides of the section 2. The central section 2 is hinged at one end with the receptacle or suds-box 1,

and its opposite end is engaged by a springcatch 4, whereby the part 2 is held in place. Lips 5 project beyond the free end'of the section 2 and come upon opposite sides of the spring catch 4, thereby preventing lateral movement of-the cover when closed. The pin 6, connecting the hinge members between the section 2 and receptacle 1, is removable, so as to admit of the cover being lifted bodily when required, which is of advantage, as will presently appear. The wings 3 admit of ready access to-the interior of the receptacle for any desired purpose without necessitating the freeing of the central section 2.

A false bottom. 7 is mounted upon springsupports 8 and is perforated to provide for a free circulation ofthe suds-water, and this false bottom is placed upon the bottom of the receptacle or suds-box and is supported upon said bottom a proper distance therefrom by the feet or yielding parts 8.

The pounder consists of a head 9, a cluster or series of individual pounders 10, and a stem'11,which is tubular and operates through a guide 12, attached centrally to the middle section 2 of the cover. The head 9 is composed of right-angularly disposed bars rigidly attached at the point of crossing or intersection. The individual pounders 10 are similarly constructed and comprise a funnel-shaped body 13, an inversely-disposed flaring diaphragm 14,secured at its flaring end to the body at a point between its upper and lower ends, a ring or band 15, concentric with the parts 13 and 14 and attached at its upper edge to the diaphragm 14, about midway of its inner and outer edges, and a verticallydisposed tube 16, secured at its lower end to the smaller end of the diaphragm. The tube 16 extends into the upper air-chamber formed by the diaphragm 14, and therebyprovides an inlet-opening within said chamber and beyond the contracted mouth thereof. The parts 13, 14, 15, and 16 are concentric, and their lower edges or ends are substantially in the same plane, so as to engage with the clothing or articles in the suds-box and exert a pressure thereon. A guide-rod 17 is secured to the bottom of the receptacle or sudsbox 1 and enters the lower end of the tubular stem 11 and cooperates therewith to guide the pounder in its vertical movements, thereby preventing the pounders from engaging ICO with the sides of the receptacle or suds-box to the injury of themselves and the said receptacle. It will be understood that this guide-rod is not essential and may be dispensed with; but it is preferred in some instances to have recourse thereto, and in such I cases the cover must be entirely removed The operatii-ig-lever 18 is slotted longitu dinally and receives the upper end of the stem 11, which is connected therewith by a pin 19 passing transversely through corresponding openings in the stem and lever. A link 20 connects the inner or rear end of the lever with a rod 21, which constitutes, in effect, a fulcrum for the lever when the machine is in active-operation. Thelink 20 is loosely mounted upon the rod 21 and has pivotal connection with the operating-lever 18. It therefore follows that the lever when oscillated vertically will move longitudinally, so as to admit of the stem 11 and the pounder connected therewith reciprocating vertically without requiring the operator to exercise watchfulness and force to give proper direction to the pounder to prevent it engaging with the sides of the receptacle. The link 20 has a sliding movement on the rod 21, thereby admitting of the operating-lever being vibrated laterally simultaneously with its vertical movement, so that the pounder may cover the entire surface of the clothes or articles contained in the receptacle. The rod 21 is curved longitudinally on the arc of a circle whose center corresponds with the stem 11, whereby the link will maintain the same relation at any position within the range of its lateral movement as if it were mounted upon a fulcrum and incapable of any lateral play. This rod has its end portions bent vertically and secured in any substantial manner to the rear end of the section 2, although it may be attached to the machine in any convenient place.

When in operation, the clothing or articles to be washed are placed upon the false bottom '7, and the proper amount of suds-water being supplied to the receptacle and the cover being secured in place the operation is ef,

fected by oscillating the operating-lever 18, which imparts a vertical reciprocating motion to the pounder. As the pounder descends a pressure is exerted upon the clothes and the false bottom is caused to yield and the sudswater below it passes up through the perforations and through the clothing placed thereon and loosens and removes the dirt from the clothing in the ordinary way. When the plunger rises, the false bottom likewise ascends by reason of the spring-supports 8 re- I'Ience gaining themselves, and the suds-water is caused to pass downward through the clothing. The operation is repeated until the desired results are efiected.

When the pin 6 is drawn out, the cover and pounder can be removed from the suds-box and a wringer may be placed in position. Ordinarily the guide 12 will be sufficient to di root the pounder in its movements; but when the cover is laid aside the guide-rod 17 answers the same purpose. It will thus be seen that the machine can be used with or without the cover.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is- 1. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a pounder, means for directing the pounder in its vertical movements, a rod vplaced at one side of the receptacle and curved outwardly between its ends away from the center of the receptacle, a link mounted to swing and slide upon the rod, and an operating-lever having pivotal connection with the stem of the pounder .and with the said link, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a cover therefor comprising a central section and side wings hinged thereto, the said central section having a tubular guide, a vertical rod secured to the bottom of the receptacle, a pounder having a tubular stem guided in its movements by the aforesaid tubular guide and the vertical rod, a rod placed at one end of the central section and curving outwardly between its ends, a link mounted-to slide and turn upon said rod, and a lever having pivotal connection with saidlink and with the stem of the pounder, substantially as set forth.

In a washing-machine, a pounder comprising a funnel-shaped body open at the bottom and closed at the top, an inversely-disposed fiaring diaphragm secured at its upper edge to the body at a point intermediate its upper and lower ends and dividing the funnelshaped body into an upper air-space closed at the top, and a lower air-space, a tube secured to the lower end of the diaphragm and extending upward approximately midway of the upper air-space and forming an inlet to said chamber, and a ring depending from the diaphragm about midway of its ends, the lower edges of the body, ring, diaphragm and tube being in the same horizontal plane, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

J. W. CLAY GLOTFELTY, CONRAD LAMP. 

